SXSW
2002 - Day 8 - Friday March 15, 2002
The two coolest rumors I heard at SXSW:
1) Bob Schneider and Sandra Bullock have broken
up (true).
2) Keanu Reeves is married to David Geffen (who
knows?)
I took Friday off from my day job so after eating
lunch at home and showering and stuff, I decided to
make myself up. I like to do this sometimes. I put some
black make-up around my eyes, black lipstick, black
nail polish on three fingernails on my right hand. I
don’t know why I wanna look sorta Goth sometimes. I
just like the way it looks. It says “Notice me, I’m
nobody.”
I went to the music video thing at the Hideout.
I only went really to see the new Hobble video. Last
year’s music video thing was put together by Bob Ray
and it was pretty good. I took a bunch of small change
because I knew I’d need to feed a parking meter for
a couple hours. When I picked up 2 dollars worth of
nickels, I kinda forgot I’d have to feed them, one by
one, to the meter. It was crazy standing on 7th street
at 3 in the afternoon, all Gothed out and feeding nickels
into a parking meter. I felt silly.
I didn’t recognize anyone at the Hideout. No one
from Hobble was there. There was this guy who I thought
was from the Defrockers, but I don’t think it was him.
He sat in the front row and wore an old, beat-up Allman
Brothers shirt that was a tad too small for him so when
he leaned forward you could see the small of his back.
It was sexy. Another guy walked around with his belt
buckle undone. That’s sexy too. It pretty much says,
“I’m about to come out of my clothes!” as well as “Why
don’t cha blow me!”
There was a Godawful ten minute thing during the
music videos and a lot of people got up and left during
that. I knew Hobble was going to be last, so I stuck
it out. The new video was worth it. In it, Oriah, dressed
like Floyd the Barber, gives a little kid a mohawk.
|
I was going to see CQ at the Arbor at 7:45,
so I decided to go back to my apartment and chill
for an hour or so. I had a message from J.K.,
so I called him back and he told me he was going
to visit his parents for the weekend. They live
about an hour or so out of Austin. Even though
I knew I wouldn't see him this weekend because
of SXSW, I missed him the minute I knew he was
on his way out of town. I have come to realizesome
things about our relationship; it hit me at some
point this weekend that J.K. is just fucking around
with me. I mean, we both said that what we were
doing together was for fun and not serious. J.K.
is young and needs to experience the world. I’m
just a part of that experimentation. And that’s
cool with me. Everyone keeps telling me to relax
and enjoy being with him. Maybe I can do that
now that I’ve snapped to the fact that he’s not
serious about it, really. Even if he acts sometimes
like he is.
When I was walking back to my car to go to
the Arbor, a guy with a parrot on his shoulder
rounded the corner at the same time I did and
it freaked me out. I had to tell him I was scared
of birds. He apologized. It was weird. It caught
me off guard.
|
Journeys
with George" director Alexandra Pelosi
|
I went to China Star and had buffet and
then went to the Arbor. I stopped at Best Buy and looked
for the Ben Kweller CD, but they didn’t have it either.
At the Arbor, I stood in line for the film with
Keith from the Dobie. We’ve got to hang out a bit at
SXSW and talk and stuff and I find myself really liking
him. He’s a super nice guy and someone to talk films
with. He’s not preachy or pretentious either. That’s
cool. He was wearing a “The
Living End” t-shirt which was really cool and we
talked about gay films like “Billy’s
Hollywood Screen Kiss” and “Y
tu mama tambien.” We talked about “Chelsea
Walls,” “Devil’s
Backbone,” “CQ,” of course, and “Kissing Jessica
Stein,” all of which will play at the Dobie. We also
talked about “ZigZag” and “Looking for Leonard.” Keith
had seen 40 minutes or so of “L4L” and walked out. It
struck me as funny cause my friend Rav really liked
that film.
After the film, Keith was headed back to the Dobie
and I was going to the Paramount to meet Allan Campbell
for “Journeys with George.” I knew Keith had been cabbing
it this week, so I offered him a ride and he accepted.
On the way we talked about the Arbor closing and customer
service at the Dobie and stuff. Keith used to run the
Mayan in Colorado, so he knows how important customer
service and name recognition is. I can see the turn
around in the staff’s attitude at the Dobie over the
past few weeks since Keith took over. I think he’s doing
an excellent job.
|
Rick
Linklater and Harry Knowles outside the Paramount
after the screening of "The Last Waltz"
|
I got
to the Paramount and “The Last Waltz” had just let
out. Harry Knowles was talking to Rick Linklater
in front of the theater so I snapped a pic. Rav
was nearby as well. Allan had seen “Waltz” and told
me that Robbie Robertson gave it a rather perfunctory
introduction and did not do a Q&A. Robertson did
say he had remastered the sound of the film for
a DVD release and that there would also be a 4 CD
box set of the concert out soon. Allan went on a
long time about the movie and The Band and Dylan
and stuff. It was all pretty boring to me. When
we got inside, he continued to talk a lot about
it. Allan also collects bootlegs of certain bands,
in particular the Stones, The Who and Springsteen,
and so he can go on and on about it. |
On the way in, we stopped and got drinks
and candy and stuff from Cat (or is it Kat) at the Paramount.
I kinda know here from Kelly working there. She’s a
really cool chick. And lo and behold, Mark Brauner surprised
us and came to the movie. I had invited him and he actually
showed. It was cool.
| After
the movie, Mark, Allan and I decided to go to the
Mag Caf (Magnolia Café). We were standing in front
of the Paramount with the post-film throng and trying
to decide whose car to take when Mark mentioned
he had paid $5.00 to park in a garage. I started
yelling at him and acted like I was really mad.
I went on and on. “Don’t you know that you’re perpetuating
a horrid system. If you didn’t pay to park, they
wouldn’t charge to park!” People stopped talking
and stared. It was hilarious. I love making a spectacle
of myself sometimes. Mark and Allan’s jaws dropped.
It was funny. To me, anyway. At Mag Caf, Mark mentioned
that he was a bit put-off by it. |
Allan
Campbell and Mark Brauner
|
The Mag Caf was busy but not crazy and one waitress
said she would clear a table for us. When she was done,
another was trying to shoo us into the waiting area
and I yelled at her: “Why would you make us wait when
you said you had a table ready for us?” The waitress
who was clearing the table told me it was cool, “She
didn’t know.” As we were walking to the table, the other
said, “I love getting yelled at during SXSW.” Again,
it was funny to me. No one else.
While we ate, we talked for a long time about all
kinds of stuff but I really don’t remember because there
was this really cute guy a couple tables over from us.
He was so obviously gay but he had the most beautiful
smile and was so animated as he talked to his companion.
He was maybe 17, maybe 24. I thought he was beautiful.
I have never really been attracted to gay guys, there
mostly such phony, petty, whores, but he was just so
cute. I should have at least told him so.
Went home and my neighbors were partying. They
didn’t go to bed until 5am. This, coupled with missing
J.K., made me very grumpy.
Tomorrow is the last day of SXSW2002. What a long
strange trip it has been. I am beat.
Lodger @ SXSW2002
|
